


Birth of Flames

by Uchuu



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Magic, F/F, Major Character Injury, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Non-Human Genitalia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-14
Packaged: 2018-05-26 06:29:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6227539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uchuu/pseuds/Uchuu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peridot remembers feeling trapped her entire life. Trapped in her room, in the ship or in her house and never to experience the night sky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Peridot remembers feeling trapped her entire life. She cannot remember her childhood but she remembers coming to the ship and growing up here but the days that have come and gone have all been the same. Trapped in her room or down in the studies; forced to be protected by her mothers guards and knights and council. She spent most of her life wondering what was outside of the ship or the home connected to the thing and why people went through great lengths to protect her. It was the main thought that plagued her mines for what felt like eons to her.

Peridot couldn’t have friends or companions. The people who took care of her or spoke to her were only around for short periods of time before leaving again and coming back hours later. She was always alone and by herself, reading, writing or taking up some sort of hobby to pass the time. Her mother always told her she would be allowed out one day but even if Peridot knew day from night she’d never know when that time would come.

Sometimes the ship would sit at a dock and Peridot would be allowed outside of her room but only with someone watching her. She has never tried to escape and hoped for so long it built up some sort of trust with the others so when she does try it’s because they let her outside. She’s never seen stars nor the sun and has only read about them and seen pictures of the magnificent things out there.

Now she can only pace around in the halls of the ships; her normal guards watching her so carefully as she does so. She wonders if it amuses or confuses them or if they feel sorry for her being trapped. They’ve all been outside before and wonders why they won’t tell her why.

It’s the only thing Peridot wants to know: why she is forbidden from going outside.

The earliest age she remembers is eight years old. She remembers nothing before that time and bits and pieces of her life after that age. She’s twenty now, and the last twelve years have been her waiting for the day she’ll be allowed outside. Every day was the same for the past twelve years as well, the same people and same duties and studies. She remembers a council member handing her a new book one evening, a woman she’s never seen before and can only remember the deep blue of her eyes. A book about magic, something she’s read about in fairy tales but never knew anything about.

Peridot can’t help but interested in the book and spells she’s been reading about for the past two years. She added it to her main studies and hides the book when she’s away from her room—which is quite rare—and even begins to ask the council to collect items for her or even raid the kitchen for ingredients of her own.

She’s never sure what the plan is. She doesn’t know what a ritual would do for it, if she could summon something to get her out of this place she knows she’d feel better; she hopes she’d feel better.

The summoning ritual is strange to her and the spell is a language that Peridot spends weeks trying to translate. She wants to go about this smart but she still feels desperate for that freedom. It’s almost as if the others are mocking her with their chances to go outside and be free.

She gathers the materials and a knife—she has stolen—from one of the council members. Uses string to outline the symbol on her floor and set the items in the center. It’s easy enough she believes until she has to cut into her hand which she hesitates before doing. Trying to deal with the pain as she watches the blood from her hand drip into the bowl. Then after the spell there is nothing. Nothing but Peridot’s sigh at the failure of what she was doing. She wasn’t sure why she thought it might work but cleans up the items and bandages her hand before sleeping.

There’s thunder when she wakes again, it crashes near the ship and Peridot shivers at the sound, the sudden shift of cold air in the room and almost screams at the sudden shadow in her bedroom. “Did you call me?” The voice speaks and Peridot scrambles to turn the lights on in her bedroom. They lights didn’t turn on and the shadow chuckled, “allow me.” There was a sudden fire that surrounded the shadow, illuminating it and the room. Peridot could see the eyes those amber eyes glowing past it all, flecks of coal mixed into it all.

“So? You called me, right?” The voice spoke again and Peridot couldn’t help but stare at the creature. “I know I’m gorgeous and all but are you going to talk to me or?”

“You’re…”

“A demon. You called for me with that little ritual of yours. Now, I haven’t got all day…what did you want?”

“Uhm, I…” She hesitates, pulling her covers closer to her body. “What can you do?”

“Anything you want or desire.” The demon comes closer to the bed and Peridot watched.

Something inside Peridot sparks and she questions her original intent. She wanted to go outside and wanted to live a normal life and now she just wasn’t sure anymore. Not after seeing the creature. “I only get one thing, right?”

“Yes, although you summoned me with blood so we’re much more connected, unfortunately.”

“Does it make a difference? Blood or just…calling you by name?”

“A little,” the creature begins to call onto the bed and Peridot just watches again. The flames seem to cause no damage to the sheets and even when the glowing hand touches Peridot’s leg it’s just warm. “I’ll come when you call, when you’re injured but only until our deal is up. Tell me what you want; why you called for me?”

Peridot becomes rather distracted by this creature, the hair ghosting against any exposure of her skin and the warmth of the heat coming from her. “I just wanted to go outside.”

“You want to go somewhere more private and make this deal?” The creature raises an eyebrow.

“I’m not allowed out there.”

“Huh.” The creatures pulls away and pulls Peridot up from the bed and the lights flicker on and off for a brief moment. “Why did someone like you call someone like me?”

“Someone like me?” Peridot turns to look at the creature but is met by the night sky. She steps back, feeling the grass against her bare feet and turns again where the creature has been standing behind her now. “We’re outside?” She looks up but the sky above her is bleak without the lightning isn’t racing through it.

“Can you tell me what you want?” The creature nearly growls at her.

“I want.” She stops, looking back at the creature whose fire seemed to vanished and can clearly see the set of horns against her hair, the thick tail against her backside and the strange markings against her skin. “I want you to show me the world.

“That it?” She comes closer and Peridot steps away.

“Why? Should I ask for something else?”

“I just thought you might want to know who you are or-”

“Who am I?”

“Come here.” She reaches a hand out and the woman steps towards her. “I’ll make it easy for you. Not only will I show you the world but I will help you discover who you are. Just to kill some time away from Hell. Deal?”

“What about my family and the council? They’ll know I’m gone and-”

“Just do everything I say. Now, I usually seal my deals with something a little my gruesome but I’ll let you kiss me.” She laughs and Peridot blushes at the response, squeaking when the the woman reaches her out stretched hand forward to grab her. “You can call me Jasper.” She pulls Peridot closer, pressing their lips together. 

Peridot only remembers the heat against her mouth when she wakes.


	2. Chapter 2

After the events Peridot spends her days like normal. She goes to her lessons in the study, spends time fussing around with electronics, and manages to avoid whenever the council attempts to speak to her about the wound on her hand. The only thing that wasn't normal was Jasper. She didn't show up in her normal form to come and speak to her but as a deep orange furred cat or a wolf or a bird, whatever animal form she felt like shifting into to come and visit. Sometimes she just did it for fun; to mess around with the council or scare them for entertainment. It normally involved setting harmless things up in flames. 

Jasper only comes to Peridot in the evenings. Normally she would show up when Peridot would have time to herself after dinner or before bed or even during the middle of the night. Peridot has woken up at least twice with the demon just in her room alone and once with the demon in her bed watching her. Anyone would find it strange that Peridot felt rather comforted by it, sure it had something to do with the heat the demon naturally gave off. Something so dismissive but when meeting the woman you were almost frightened by her.

The problem itself wasn't Jasper joining her in bed. That was something that started almost a week after the two had met. Jasper asked and Peridot said yes. Then it became almost a nightly thing; Jasper would wake Peridot up and they would talk for a while. She would learn things about demons and other creatures that she knew existed from books but hearing about them was strange to her. 

Tonight was no different, Peridot was huddled up in her blankets on her bed and Jasper was near the edge, back against the wall as she spoke about her times in Hell. Normally some sort of vulgar language would slip out and Jasper found herself halfheartedly apologizing for it. 

“What's a familiar?” Peridot spoke and Jasper turns to her at the question before rolling her eyes.

“They're like these low level things that protect witches. Sometimes they're passed down and sometimes they just come to people who are destined for them. A black cat in a family of witches or an owl or even just a simple house pet or spirit.”

“They don't make deals like demons, do they?”

“Well, familiars come to aid any magic folk. It's more of their choice and if a person accepts them well, good for them. Demons are different because both sides of the contract tend to get hurt.” 

“So are you stuck here with me? Because of the blood?” She pulls her blankets higher. 

“Yes and no. I'm not stuck anywhere but I am here to fulfill our deal. Besides if I leave you can summon me whenever you want. I showed you how.” Jasper lays down with her legs still across the bottom of the bed, making an L shape as Peridot looks at her. 

“Are you naked?” She whispers. 

“Human clothes are restricting. In my own domain I can be-” She stops and looks up at Peridot. “Does it make you uncomfortable?” She grins. 

“No! I just...Why haven't you taken me outside?” She changes the subject as she blushes in the dim lighting in the room. “It's been a month.” 

“I need to teach you about demons and magic and a lot of other things before I even let you outside again. You know nothing about what's outside of here and trust me a demon would love to rip your heart out.” She hums, “but you do have my mark inside of you. From the deal.” 

“Mark? What?” She turns the light on and begins to examine herself. 

Jasper laughs, “it's inside of you. Like marked on your bone. It goes away when I go away. Demons can see it though and depending on who your deal is with they leave you alone or take you for ransom. I'm a pretty high up demon which is why...” 

Peridot turns the lights off again as she gets into her bed, moving to get underneath the covers again. She watches Jasper as she gets up from the bed and rummages around in the desk that Peridot has made a false bottom in to contain the book she used. She brings it over to Peridot, “where did you get this book?” 

“Someone gave it to me. I don't know who. There are many people who come and go and-”

“Were their eyes blue?” Jasper asks again and Peridot nods. 

“That's all I saw of them. 

“If you ever see her again, tell me.” 

“You know who it is?” Peridot settles back into bed. 

Jasper's expression the entire time seemed so annoyed speaking about the woman. As if she has done nothing but cause her annoyance for a very long time. “Lazuli. That's the only person I know who do such a thing. She's a brat and likes to mess around. She finds someone and gives them a book and they always summon me. I don't know why she picks who she picks but out of all of them you're the only one who isn't completely human.”

Peridot sinks into her bed, brain rattled with thoughts about Jasper continuous assumption she was not human or completely human. It was a consistent comment she had made in the past month of them knowing each other. Not even divulging what it was that Jasper knew about her. Peridot was sure it was nothing and that if she was something other than human it couldn't be much. Like, she had never experienced any supernatural phenomenon centered around her but at the same time she questioned if her mother knew anything and it was why she was always trapped inside. Although, she also knew demons made deals and could lie. 

She whines as she hides under her blankets and feels the weight of Jasper joining her back on the bed. “Tomorrow is your free day right?”

Peridot thinks for a second on what day of the week it is and moves in her blanket. 

“I take that as a yes.” 

She had a free days three times a week and the other four were a set schedule her mother made for her. The free days could have lessons if she wanted them to but when Jasper came into her life she put her priorities more into the demon. 

“I can take you outside in the morning. We'll have to practice different things to see what you are. Sometimes when a creature isn't just a creature but also human their powers don't really show up until they're stressed or the human becomes out of control. The only way I know how to do that is to take you to the Obsidian Market.” 

Peridot comes out from underneath her covers, sitting up and looking at the woman. “What's that?” 

“Do you know what a black market is?” 

“Essentially. Illegally selling things mostly.” 

“Well, it's the same thing except demons and they sell people like other creatures and humans and things. I think it's a good place to stress you until I figure out what you are. Besides, you said you wanted to go outside.” 

Peridot shakes at Jasper’s explanation while laying back down. She was frightened of the idea of her being in that place with so many creatures. She can never begin to understand why Jasper is so adamant on proving she is some sort of creature in the first place. 

“If you're worried just stay with me. I won't let anything happen to you or I don't really get my end of the deal.” 

“I don't even know what your end of the deal is.” She groans, “all you said was that you would show me what I wanted to see.” 

“That's the thing about demons. We all want the same thing and we all get screwed in the end. Just go to bed. I'll leave you alone.” 

Jasper vanishes from the room and Peridot looks at the empty spot where the demon once stayed.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is uchuuwrites but I just write on there and write ideas and uhm, I don't know.


End file.
